


Discovery

by smallenoughtofit



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Apology One Shot, F/M, I wrote it a long time ago okay, Paternity, Surprise! - Freeform, and then I want kinda crazy, i kept the name jonas, they're kind of cute, this is the inspiration for asunder, this was the original idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-26 19:21:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10793127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallenoughtofit/pseuds/smallenoughtofit
Summary: After 10 months of searching, Kylo finally finds both Rey and the reason for her disappearance from the First Order.





	Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> This was the original draft of Asunder, which is now more than 20 chapters long. I kind of... took off.
> 
> Link to Asunder: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8947663/chapters/20480620

Kylo Ren hadn’t believed his eyes when he first saw the blip on his scanner, but landed anyway. This was the first possible sign of Rey he had seen in the nearly ten months since she had left him and the First Order with no explanation. Something in him coiled, hot and angry, at the thought of it. He had watched her go on a solo mission, just as he had so many times in their nearly three years of working together, but had felt that something was wrong. It wasn’t until she had been missing for two weeks that he learned what that was: the Supreme Leader had felt her reluctance to go on the mission, which he had attributed to hesitation on her part about returning to Jakku to seek information. It had, however, been her trepidation at deserting the First Order. 

Kylo Ren had destroyed two rather expensive consoles upon hearing this. He had also cried, quietly in his room. 

At first, he had expected Hux to judge him for it and had burned with a hot desire to kill the slimy ladder crawler before he got the chance, but Hux had taken a deep breath and replied to the initial report with, “She deceived us all, even the Supreme Leader,” and said no more of it. 

From what The Supreme Leader and Kylo Ren could deduce, Rey had sought Luke Skywalker out a second time, judging by the fact that they could not find her anywhere. Kylo Ren had been sent to track down the old Jedi a second time, after he vacated his hermitage on Ach-To for some other secluded spot. 

Kylo Ren fumed silently as he drew closer to the blinking light on his sensor. He really hoped he wouldn’t have to devote another fifteen years of his life to tracking Luke Skywalker. At that point, the old Jedi might die of old age, which would be highly unsatisfying. He landed, glad his pod had no trackable software. It made him invisible to everyone, short of Force users. Rey and Skywalker would know he was coming, but he did not fear them. He landed on the edge of a sweeping cliff, but did not stop to admire the scenery. He had more pressing matters to attend to, and disembarked with little ceremony, glad he’d left his stormtroopers on his ship. It was nice to have a solo mission once in awhile. 

The forests were large and grand in a way that reminded him of Takodana, but were much younger. The trees here lacked the ancient girth that had been present on the other planet. However, Ren knew that Rey would still love being surrounded by so much greenery. She’d always loved plants. When they’d travelled together for the First Order, she’d often snap off a few leaves from some tree or another, allowing them to brown in the privacy of her own cabin on his ship. 

Kylo Ren closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, glad his mask had been redesigned with a little better ventilation that the one he’d first worn. The design was otherwise unchanged, but he liked the way it looked: no one saw Ben Solo in a flat piece of dark metal. He reached out to the dark force, calling it to him. The shadows melted close to him, pulsing and flowing like some vengeful ocean wave. He allowed a little to flow into his spine, strengthening his resolve, but released the rest of it into the forest, seeking out the familiar yellow of Rey’s force signature. It took only a nanosecond before three things happened: 1) He learned that Rey was only 200 yards away from him, 2) Rey became aware of his presence, and 3) Kylo Ren registered the presence of another human with her. Rey was not alone. 

Kylo Ren felt Rey’s alarm as keenly as his own and quickly rushed through the greenery before him. The thorns and thickets were so young and flimsy that he didn’t even need to draw his lightsaber to remove them. He wondered why he didn’t do it anyway, simply to have the chance to clear his path cleanly, but is weapon was at his belt still, unlit. As Kylo Ren pushed through the greenery, he recognized that, in his heart of hearts, he didn’t want to use his weapon on Rey. 

Kylo Ren wondered who was with Rey. It wasn’t Skywalker; he knew that Force signature as well as his own. Perhaps it was the pilot or FN-2187 or, his stomach clenched at the thought, some new lover of Rey’s. 

When he broke through the last barrier, he came into a clearing. Rey wasn’t immediately visible to him, but was frantically trying to patch something in the wing panel of the little holoship that was parked next to the hut she lived in. He watched her work for a second, but she glanced up less than a heartbeat later and saw him. Rey’s hazel eyes widened and she reached her her saberstaff, which was balanced on the wing, but Kylo reacted faster than she did, throwing the saber out of her reach. He found himself almost unnerved by the unadulterated fear on her face. She had never been so afraid of him, not even when he had interrogated her for the first time. 

In fact, Kylo Ren had never seen Rey so afraid of anything. It made him concerned. People got desperate when they were scared and she was more likely to do something that would get them both killed in a state like this. Ren did not want that. He wanted them both walk away from this, preferably in the same direction. 

Rey shoved away from the holoship, forcing one hand out in an attempt to knock him off his feet. She was off her game, all power but no execution, and he was only slightly unbalanced. It was a ripple that spread out in every direction, however, jolting the surrounding area in every direction. The straw roof of Rey’s hut trembled dangerously and Kylo felt fear bubble up in Rey’s chest. Part of him ached that, even after so many months apart, the settled into their old connections so easily. He couldn’t enter her mind at all, however. She had locked her mind like a steel trap, but wasn’t reaching out to his at all. She had something in her thoughts to protect, even more than herself. Ren could, however, sense her heart rate. 

“You’ve become sloppy,” Kylo Ren growled at her, inclining his head slightly to see her better.

Rey blasted him with the Force again and turned to call her saberstaff to her. He could feel her resisting the urge to use the dark side again; she was full of anger and fear that the temptation was great. This second blast was more powerful, but even less focused. The roof shook again, along with the walls, and he was forced planted his feet firmly to maintain his balance.

Kylo Ren froze when he heard a weak sound from within the hut. At the sight of Rey, he’d forgotten about her companion, but realized whoever they were must be in the hut. Rey whipped around and Ren shoved her back, smacking her against her ship and pinning her. She fought against his grip, but he doubted that anything short of the dark side would break through. The crying continued and Kylo Ren wondered if Rey wasn’t keeping some animal companion with her. He couldn’t make sense of any person she knew not coming to her aid. He left Rey, struggling against the ship, and pushed back the curtain of the hut, his lightsaber at the ready, and entered. 

The single room was broken up by a folding privacy screen. The front area was bare except for a candle that Rey obviously used while meditating. He walked to the gap by one wall. Rey was screaming now, pleading with him indistinctly. Something in him went cold at the love she felt for this companion. He must be a great love of hers, he thought bitterly. He moved past the barrier, his eyes trailing over the disorganized pallet on the floor and finally landing on the source of the protesting voice: a tiny infant was curled in a crib made from scrap parts. 

Kylo Ren extinguished his lightsaber, afraid he’d do something foolish. Rey was still screaming at him and he understood why: she thought he’d kill the infant because he and his knights had killed the unrepentant padawans at Luke’s Academy. This, however, was an entirely clean slate, neither light or dark. He walked closer, bending over the baby, trying to quietly shush it. At his appearance, the infant only cried harder, so he removed his helmet, hoping his scarred face would be less terrifying than a cold mask. He lifted the child into his arms and released Rey, knowing she would do nothing to him while he held the child. He shifted the child in his grip, holding it with one arm and holding his saber in the other. He could feel the power radiating off his child. This baby would be strong with the Force one day.

Rey appeared in the doorway, tears welling in her eyes and her face flushed. She leaned back against the doorframe, her lip trembling at the sight of him and the child. 

“Who is this?” Ren asked, nodding at the infant, who had mostly quieted.

“Support his head,” Rey whispered, clearly unable to help herself.

“What?” That was not an answer he’d expected from her.

“You’re holding him wrong. You’ve got to support his head.” Rey said, her voice louder.

Kylo Ren let out a huff and shifted the baby in his arm, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, “He’ll live. This isn’t the first baby I’ve held.” 

Rey blinked, knowing he was referring to some of the infants delivered to Luke’s Academy. She seemed to have forgotten that part of his past. 

“Who is this?” Kylo Ren asked again, his voice harder.

“Jonas.” Rey said quietly, taking a tiny step forward. She was trying to restrain herself, to stay out of the range of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber and temper, but seemed to be unable to bear the sight of the baby and the man together.

“Where did he come from?” Kylo Ren asked, igniting his lightsaber and seeing Rey back up quickly, pressing her back against the far wall of the cabin. 

Rey stared at him for a second, clearly confused. “I’m pretty sure you’ve already had this conversation with someone over the course of -”

“No, not that.” Kylo Ren snarled, his temper flaring, “I know where babies in general come from, I mean this particular one. He’s human. Where are his parents? Who is he?”

“He’s no one. We found him.” Rey said, too quickly. She was lying. 

“If he’s no one, then I’ll take him off your hands.” Kylo Ren said, his voice softening. He glanced for a moment at the infant, who had settled into an easy doze. He was tiny, clearly not more than a few weeks old. Where would Rey have come across him? That wasn’t the answer. 

“No!” Rey choked out, “Don’t, Ren, please.”

“Why not?” Kylo Ren asked, taking a step closer to her and forcing her into the far corner, allowing him a clearer path to the door, “You just found him. He’s Force Sensitive, I can feel that already. The Supreme Leader could do wonders with him.” 

Kylo Ren had never seen so much pain in Rey’s eyes, not even after he’d killed Han Solo in front of her or when she’d glanced back at him after departing for her last mission, ten months ago. That was proof enough for him: “The boy is yours, isn’t he?”

Rey nodded, pressing her lips together, “Jonas is mine, yes, but you can’t take him back to Snoke. Snoke will destroy him. I can’t let you.” Tears slipped down her face now.

“How will you stop me?” Kylo Ren snarled, unable to stand the pride she had. She couldn’t stop him, especially with the child in his arms. She was powerless here, just as powerless as he had been without her these past months.

“I can’t.” Rey said, “Please, Ren, please don’t take my son away from me.” 

“Whose his father?” Kylo Ren snapped, unable to help himself as he took a step backwards out of the hut, “Is it FN-2187? The pilot, Dameron?” 

Rey said nothing, but took a step closer to him, “Please, Ren, don’t do this. Don’t take him to Snoke. Don’t let Snoke know he exists. He will drown out all of the light. He’s got so much of the dark and the light in him. Don’t let Snoke destroy who he is and who he could be.”

“The Supreme Leader is wise,” Kylo Ren said automatically, although part of him knew that Snoke would break this child. He couldn’t just give him back, though. Snoke would know and would send someone else out to collect him, someone who would leave Rey and anyone else dead.

“Ren, please, come with me. Leave Snoke, leave the Order, come with me.” Rey pleaded, taking another step and finally working to close the gap, “Once Snoke learns that Jonas exists, he’ll never have a moment of peace. Snoke will always be there, trying to manipulate him like he manipulated us.”

“The Supreme Leader is wise.” Kylo Ren repeated, feeling something bitter rise in his throat. She was right, but that was not the point. “Don’t follow me. Tell the pilot or the traitor or whoever the father is that I am sorry for the inconvenience.” 

Kylo Ren turned to make his way back to his ship. He couldn’t spare this child from the Supreme Leader. There was no escaping what was to come. Rey and her lover couldn’t escape him. He doubted that he would ever be able to. 

“He’s your son! Jonas is your son!” Rey’s voice cracked as she called out to him.

Kylo Ren stopped. His lightsaber lowered to his side, scorching the grass. He didn’t turn around, but found himself actually looking at the child for the first time.

He was very tiny. He couldn’t be more than a month and a half old, which made sense considering the time when Rey abandoned him. This must have been why: Rey had been more concerned about the child than about him or the Order. The child had dark hair, and a shocking amount of it, but Kylo could not see any other features that were reminiscent of him. Although, he couldn’t get much in the way of distinguishing features at all. This child might as well have a squishy potato for a father as him, if one was judging by looks alone. 

Kylo Ren felt Rey’s hand against his back and nearly jumped. She wasn’t trying to influence or attack him, he realised, but was simply contact. 

“Is he really mine?” Ren murmured, feeling something prick the back of his eyes. 

“I left as soon as I had the chance. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid that Snoke would…” Rey trailed off weakly. Ren could feel her heart aching as she watched him, but he was entirely focused on Jonas’s face. She kept her voice quiet as she said “His eyes are hazel, but his hair is black, too.”

“What’s he like?” Kylo said, not caring that his voice was unsteady.

“He’s a baby, Ren. He’s too young to be “like” anything. He mostly cries, eats, and sleeps.” Rey said, her voice quiet and understanding. She moved her hand to Kylo Ren’s arm. _She’s trying to take Jonas from me,_ Ren thought. He suddenly tucked his son close to his chest, taking a step back, lifting his saber up to prevent her getting any closer as he took a step back to widen the space between them again. Rey’s hazel eyes were wide and her hands were by her head. It was only then that Kylo Ren realized he’d left his mask in the hut. Rey could see his face clearly and he hardened his expression. 

“I wasn’t trying to do anything.” Rey said. 

“You don’t want him to come with me.” Kylo Ren countered.

“That’s true, but I know you don’t want Snoke to have him either.” Rey’s face was so trusting and earnest. She really believed what she was saying.  
“I know.” Kylo Ren whispered, staring into the snoozing face of his son. He dropped his weapon and held the baby in both his arms, “There’s the Order vs. the Resistance, there’s the light side vs. the dark side, and then there’s…”

“There’s him.” Rey said, quietly moving to Kylo Ren’s front. She didn’t move to take Jonas from him, but simply leaned close to him. “You can’t take him back to Snoke,” she whispered.

“I know.” Kylo Ren said quietly, “but I can take the pair of you to Luke.”

“What about Snoke? The Order?” Rey asked. 

“He’s bigger than them.” Kylo Ren said, leaning down to kiss the top of the baby’s head gently. He thought of the old holofilm he’d seen, stolen from the droid RD2D’s memory core a few years back. Anakin Skywalker had gone to the Dark Side not out of a demand for order, but out of love. 

“Are you going to come with us?” Rey asked, looking up at him. This was the closest they had been since Rey had left the Order. It wasn’t until now that Kylo Ren realized how much he loved her. He wanted to kiss her just for standing there. Just for existing. Instead, he shook his head.

“I’d be more of a danger to you than anything. now.” Ren said, “I’ve got to become my own person first. When I do, I’ll find you. And we’ll be a family.”

“A family.” Rey said quietly. She started when Jonas opened his eyes, letting out a whiney cry, but found herself smiling when Ren leaned his face close to the baby’s, shushing him gently. Jonas squirmed in his father’s arms, pulling one tiny hand from his blankets and touching Ren’s face. Ren let out a quiet noise in his throat, choked up at the contact. 

“He doesn’t have a middle name,” Rey said quietly, “something to meditate on while you’re off becoming your own person.”

Ren nodded, blinking tears out of his eyes. 

“Come on,” Rey said, “I’ll fly you you to Luke and you can hold Jonas on the way over. Then you can take my hunk of junk ship wherever you want to go.” 

“Alright, but one moment,” Kylo Ren said, grabbing his lightsaber. He passed Jonas to Rey and the pair of them walked in silence to his ship. He knew she would not flee or leave him. He grabbed the Darth Vader relic he had carried around for years and walked out of the pod, stood at the edge of the cliff, and threw it as hard as he could into the ocean below. Part of him ached to see it go, but he couldn’t be his own person with that hanging around. He couldn’t be Darth Vader’s heir and Jonas’s father.

And turning back to Rey and taking his son from her, he knew which one he wanted more.


End file.
